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Hippos might be ferocious fighters, but their big teeth make them terrible chewers

The inability to chew efficiently may limit the types of places the massive mammals can live

A photo of a hippo's head popping out of the water with its mouth wide open.

Hippos’ big, scary teeth might be what keep them confined to their semiaquatic lifestyle.

Magdalena Kula Manchee/Unsplash

By Jake Buehler

Hippos are horrible at chewing, and their giant tusks and front teeth are to blame.

These intimidating dental features are used by hippos, in part, to protect themselves and their territory. But some of the gnarly teeth interlock or hinder jaw movements, preventing hippos from efficiently chewing with the side-to-side grinding technique that other herbivores use, researchers report October 4 in PLOS ONE.